FlawlessVictory

Why don't people just take it froms James' mouth himself?

"Kobe Bryant is the best player in this league and has been for a long time."

Or maybe Shaq's mouth?

"If Kobe Bryant keeps up what he's doing he'll be the best player of all time."
"What about Jordan? (to Shaq)"
"What about him?"

Anyone who thinks the Lakers could have won in the playoffs without Kobe's varying numbers of 25-32 with 5-7 boards and 5-7 assists is just a monsterous idiot. Not to mention Kobe was on the first defensive team almost every year of that run while Shaq was always a horrible team defender.



As far as comparing Kobe to LeBron at younger ages, Del Harris is a complete idiot and had Kobe on the bench. Despite Del Harris putting the shackles on Kobe, he got voted as an All-Star starter in his second year. That's right. He was so good that a bench player was voted All-Star starter. That's how popular and good he was. I guess only Del Harris couldn't see it.

Secondly, people act like having Shaq helped Kobe's numbers. Please look at what Kobe's numbers have done since Shaq left. Please. I dare you. Increased across the board. Being the second option HURTS your numbers. It doesn't help them. Scottie Pippen had career highs in EVERY AREA, even FG% which is odd, when Jordan went off to play baseball. Let's not act like Shaq helps Kobe's numbers. The fact is Batman put on Robin's costume and became Shaq's Pippen in order to win rings and he did. If Kobe had his opportunity to play on a ****ty team and just put up numbers, he would have done that just like Jordan and LeBron did, and have done, in the early parts of their careers.

LeBron has had 4 or 5 years to improve his jumper and there has been virtually no improvement since year two. He still can't take and finish nearly as strong with his left. He still has no semblance of a post game. He still plays porous on-ball defense for most of the game. He still struggles to get in quality scoring positions without several dribbles and/or a pick. His game is not even close to complete. He compensates by being a dominant physical presence, not a bad thing at all or a knock, and by having superb vision and handles for his size.

LeBron is a great player and is the future of the NBA post-Kobe. However, until he improves the huge flaws in his floor game, he'll never be in the same stratosphere as Bryant and Jordan. Unlike those two who have no offensive flaws, teams can exploit James in the playoffs. His numbers consistently drop off every single time he plays a good defense in the playoffs. Even against the Pistons, they were lackluster outside of the one game and, on average, they were not as impressive as his regular season digits. In the playoffs, teams can force him to the perimeter because he's not a threat posting up. They can force him into jumpers that he shoots well below a 40% clip and they can induce him into becoming 3 happy; a place where LeBron is shooting 31%. They can hedge and run zones off his PnR and force him to break the zone with the J and, 90% of games, he can't do it. I think there was a crazy stat last year, whenever James scored more than 20, the Cavaliers won.

All in all, it is still very, very possible to slow down James with great defense. If you look at the numbers this year, his stats decreased against good teams by 2-3 points and 4-5 FG%.

You can't say the same for Bryant. All you can do is pray that he's not hitting his jumpers. If he is, you just can't guard him.

Can LeBron reach that playing status someday? Maybe. When looking at regular statistics, has he been superior to Bryant in his earlier years? Yes. Has his floor game been superior? Absolutely not. Most of you must not remember how people were saying that Kobe would one day be better than Jordan and crowned him the savior of the league. However, we all know the playoffs is when the greats are separated from the legends and, most of the time, James has failed to separate himself on those levels.

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Props to BEAT0 for the sig

bamaboy256

^^^^ by the time Lebrons in his 12th or so season youll be replacing Kobes name with Lebron in just about every point you made about Kobe and if you woulda replaced Kobe with Lebron on the Lakers when they were winning championships then you could add about 3 more rings Kobes numbers may have improved since shaq left but how many rings he got solo? shaq took wade and got a ring. "Most of you must not remember how people were saying that Kobe would one day be better than Jordan" people also predict the world is ending every year yet were typing right now!! dude single handedly took his team to the finals Kobe hasnt even gotten that far by himself yet.

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FalconFrenzy

lol @ people acting like they know the future.For all we know LBJ could get some type of injury & ever reach his full potential.He already has had back injuries.People thought the same about T Mac.T Mac was arguably the best player in the league at one point,then he developed that little back spasms problem & he isnt the same(still a great player,but not as dominant).



But anyway......we just have to wait & only time will tell

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^^JJ goes off in gm 4 against Boston

grizzlyadams24

kobe is the best in the league right now. u cant take anything from LBJ i mean this guy carried a team to the finals with a team wit larry hughes n Z i mean give h8m his dues. he also led the league in scoring this year. i mean this kid if he went to college would b his 2nd year. also on of four ppl ever to a** 31-7-6 in a season wit the likes of oscar, michael, and west, isnt too bad. LBJ could retire now and i think he is a definite hall of famer. LBJ will go down as maybe the best player ever but he has to win some rings first.

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flight

you better not have jinxed lebron... cuz his basketball career would be over since all he does is dunk on people... lol
he is 1/27 outside of the paint against the celtics... WOW!!!

its not like it matters lebron is rich as hell anyways... even just with his shoe contract - an easy 90 MILL...

ha

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ilubrize

haha exactly! People need to give Lebron his props. 0-2 to detroit and still won the series! He practically carried the whole team. Well him and big Z all there role player from the new trade and even the role players before the trade are to inconsistent. They have to make them open shots when people are DOUBLE AND TRIPLE TEAMING LEBRON!!!

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S Gares

81 Point Game > Anything Lebron has done up to this point...until lebron does something better...Kobe's HOMEEEEEEEE

btw this is coming from an a huuuuge Iverson fan...AI took his team to the finals...more single handed then Lebron if you ask me...

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Terror 9999

lol of course Kobe is better but what I dont get is why ppl make threads like this bashing Lebron as if hes not better then 98% of the guards & SF of the league

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FalconFrenzy

lol i hope i didnt jinx him too.Yea he is rich as hell.I would love to be a role player in the nba,or just ride the bench cuz those guys still get paid in the millions.Unless your one of those players who barely makes the roster and those guys still make like 720,000 so i'd still be ok lol.

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^^JJ goes off in gm 4 against Boston

Kid Steez

He's struggling no doubt about it, but he'll get his game together. He's too much of a killer to not be on his game. He also needs to get some help from his other teammates outside of Illguaskas.

WhatsReallyGood

Kobe has been the best player in the NBA for a long time now, but Lebron has been catching up to him and may have finally caught him this season...

Kobe has a better jumper, honestly he probably has the sweetest jumper ive ever seen...but Lebron gets the edge in most other facets of the game and his beastliness really does make a difference. We have every reason to believe that Lebron will go down as one of the GOAT, along with Kobe of course. Whether or not he gets the rings to really cement his place in history is yet to be seen tho.

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flight

yeah... they are getting paid to PLAY BASKETBALL !!!
and some are getting paid to SIT AND WATCH others play basketball...
lol

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ReDsOxFaN266

reggie miller

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Mr 2ToN

a typical homer quote...

.....

(indianapolis colts....indiana pacers.....cmon people get a brain)

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hurrican3

lebron is no where near kobes level .. very incomplete player .. he has a terrible outside shot

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ColtsRChamps

LeBron's offensive game is nothing compared to Kobe's. He will have to continue to work on it and improve it he is only 23.

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hurrican3

YES HE HAS A WHILE TO GET DEVELOP AN OUTSIDE SHOT .. BUT HIS OUTSIDE SHOT IS SO BAD ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY .. PEOPLE DONT EVEN COVER IT HALF THE TIME AND OVERCOVER THE DRIVE

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padre92

Not really, did you ever see Reggie Miller play? I'd probably say Larry Bird had one of the sweetest jumpers ever and (with my homer hat on) Chris Mullins jumper was beautiful as well.

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